New discoveries in Kephart presentation

A panel discussion will present recent discoveries and observations relating to legendary Western North Carolina figure Horace Kephart at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 13, in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University.

WCU’s Mae Claxton and George Frizzell will join writer and historian George Ellison during the program “Horace Kephart Revisited.” Kephart was a 42-year-old librarian looking to make a fresh start in the mountain wilderness when he came to WNC in the summer of 1904. Over the next 27 years, the numerous articles and books he wrote captured a disappearing culture and provided practical advice for outdoor enthusiasts. Kephart also was a major force in the movement to establish Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The panel discussion is being presented in conjunction with the Mountain Heritage Center exhibit “Horace Kephart in the Great Smoky Mountains,” which will be on display through September.